Code Geass: The Bond of Friendship
by Tower of Babel
Summary: After contracting a cold and a high fever, Suzaku looks after Lelouch. The bond of friendship runs deep with these two and I wanted to write a little story about that. COMPLETE.


**_A "MINUTE READ" CODE GEASS STORY -_**

**_"THE BOND OF FRIENDSHIP"_**

**_( * * * )_**

**_I'm still working on other CG stories, so I hope this ties readers over until the next chapters are complete? Thanks for your patience. R & R._**

_**( * * * )**_

It started with a sneeze in one class, and then it got progressively worse over the day, or that's how Suzaku Kururugi viewed it. Lelouch had or was in the beginning stages of getting a cold. How, when, or where he may have contracted it was a mystery.

Lelouch had been sneezing and coughing all throughout the latest Student Council meeting. Suzaku had voiced his concerns, but Lelouch dismissed them, stating he was fine. "Nothing than a little Vitamin C won't cure," he had said almost jokingly.

But Suzaku knew better. And he was right.

Lelouch got worse in their latest class together. And students around him, Suzaku observed, were getting annoyed with Lelouch's symptoms. His latest coughing spasm had him sounding like he was about to eject out a lung. They were in math class.

Finally the teacher had had enough. He turned aggressively from the blackboard, chalk in hand, in the midst of a mathematical equation, and said, "Enough Lelouch! Your dedication to your school work in admirable, but you're being disruptive to the rest of the class. I sympathize that you're sick, but go home."

Lelouch looked like he was about to protest, but started to cough again, inhabiting a response.

Suzaku put up a hand to speak. "With permission, I'll bring him home; someone should take him back safely," he said. Again, it looked like Lelouch was going to protest, waving a hand in the air, coughing, but again he was unable to give a verbal response.

The teacher agreed.

Lelouch sneezed, coughed more, and then finally stopped, and nodded, sucking in air to fill battered lungs. He knew he wasn't going to win this fight.

Lelouch closed his books and went to stand, but he started to wobble. Suzaku could see this, and he jumped out of his seat to catch his friend, before Lelouch could fall.

"My head is spinning," Lelouch muttered. "This is so embarrassing."

"I'll get you home as quickly as possible," said Suzaku. "And everyone gets sick, even the so-called invincible Lelouch," he then said with a light sardonic tone. Suzaku turned to the teacher, and said, "Sorry about this." The teacher seemed to understood and nodded. Suzaku then turned to Rival, who was in the same class. "Can you collect his things and take them to the Student Council Room? He can get them later or I'll collect them at another time." Rival was Treasurer of the Student Council.

Rival nodded. "Sure," he said. "I'll also let the others know. Maybe Lelouch should go to the hospital? He looks pretty bad."

"I'll get him to his room at the Ashford Mansion, then I'll play by ear," said Suzaku. _But calling a doctor would be a prudent call,_ he thought. "Oh, and Nunnally should be told. I believe she's not on campus today, but I forget where. . ."

Rival reminded him. And Suzaku nodded.

After everything was said and done, Suzaku then escorted Lelouch out of the class, and subsequently back to his room in the Ashford Mansion that wasn't far off campus. He then helped him into his bedroom and into his bed. "Maybe I should call a doctor," said Suzaku.

Suzaku turned to make the call; Lelouch lightly grabbed Susaku's hand, and then muttered something almost incomprehensible, dreamily. But Susaku didn't need to hear Lelouch's voice to understand. He read Lelouch's lips. Lelouch said, "Thank you."

Suzaku brushed a string of Lelouch's mop top, jet black hair, out of his boyish face, and then felt his forehead. Lelouch had a fever. And he was also sweating profusely.

He left Lelouch for a minute, and then returned, bringing a bowl filled with cold water and a cloth, and applied a cold compress to Lelouch's forehead.

"You're burning up," Suzaku said.

He noticed a stand alone tall rotating fan near by and it was positioned, pointed at Lelouch's bed; too close, in fact. _The weather has been warm lately, perhaps Lelouch had it blowing on him at night?_ Suzaku wondered. _He sweats, it cools, and then causes irritation in the skin, and then an infection. __It's a common occurrence, a__nd it's happened to me more than once._ _So, how Lelouch got the cold is solved. Now it's time to bring his fever down._

Suzaku undressed his friend and tucked Lelouch under the sheets, and continued to apply cold compresses to Lelouch's forehead. Then he also did the same to his arms, chest and torso. He needed to settle the fever down.

_**( * * * )**_

It had been a long night, but finally at around three o'clock in the morning Lelouch's fever broke.

Suzaku sat back in a chair next to the bed he had been using and sighed softly, wiping sweat from his brow. _The bond of friendship is stronger than any other,_ a_nd I wouldn't be much of a friend if I wasn't here for you, Lelouch._

He sighed a deeper breath of relief. Now he could relax. He had been so on edge trying to bring Lelouch's fever down, now that it had, his felt his mind begin to ease.

"Thank god," he said softly. He hadn;t been able to contact a doctor who made house calls, so he had to take care of Lelouch himself. With Lelouch resting comfortably, Susaku suddenly found himself totally exhausted. His eyes lids felt heavy. He tried to stay awake, but it was hopeless. There was no need to anymore. And the adrenaline was gone.

_**( * * * )**_

Early the next morning he was startled awake when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Lelouch stood over him, and he was smiling. Suzaku smiled back sleepily.

"You've been here the whole night?" asked Lelouch.

Suzaku nodded. "You had a bad fever, and I couldn't find a doctor who did house calls. I didn't want to leave you alone. Nunnally is away, and there was no one else. Even your maid isn't around. Where is she?

"She's away for two days on an errand. Since Nunnally is away, I didn't need her," said Lelouch, looking around, almost confused. "What happened? For the life of me I can't remember how I got here."

"I helped you home from school and then got you into bed. I hope you don't mind, I undressed you. You were sweating a lot. I cooled you down with cold compresses."

Lelouch smiled back. "So that's why all these towels are around. No, I don't mind what you did. Thank you, Suzaku. You're a good friend. I feel much better."

"I'm relieved," Suzaku said. "But I think you should call in sick today just to be on the safe side. And what are you doing up? You need rest or you'll exhaust yourself."

"I just went to the restroom." Lelouch sat down on his bed. "This cold just hit me. I was fine yesterday morning before school."

"These things happen," said Suzaku. "My theory is you got it from that fan blowing on you all night." Suzaku gestured to it.

Lelouch agreed. "I'll try and watch that, but it has been exceptionally warm lately. Thanks again."

And Suzaku said, "You're welcome. You're my friend. I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

Lelouch nodded, smiling.

All of a sudden, Suzaku sneezed.

Lelouch said, "Oh no. That's how it started for me. Let me get you some vitamin C."

And Susaku laughed.

**END**


End file.
